ACT Policing at ANU's University House block protesters as they gather
while Julie Bishop addresses a Crawford Australian Leadership Forum. Photo: Melissa Adams

The protesters used megaphones and whistles to disrupt the foreign minister's speech, and banged on metal signs with sticks while chanting "No ifs, no buts, no education cuts" and "Who's university? Our university".

One protester was arrested for allegedly smashing a window while another was escorted from the scene by police after he rode his motorcycle on a lawn towards University House.

A third man was taken away by police at 10pm for refusing to present identification.

About 15 police attended the scene, primarily to block protesters from getting near Ms Bishop's car, and there were several physical confrontations with the students.

Advertisement

An ACT Policing spokesperson said he could confirm one person had been arrested for property damage in relation to the broken window.

Ms Bishop was at the university to address the Crawford Australian Leadership Forum and ended up leaving via an alternative exit to avoid the protesters.

It was the fourth protest on campus since the Abbott government's 2014 budget, the largest of which drew hundreds of protesters at a rally in May attended by Greens MLA Shane Rattenbury.

Twenty-year-old activist Geraldine Fela said the Education Action Group was protesting Ms Bishop's speech to let the Liberal leadership know they weren't welcome on campus.

"What we want is a climate on campus where Liberals and people who represent a government who are gutting our universities, who are basically abolishing free healthcare, ruining welfare and NewStart for young people, are not welcome on campus," Ms Fela said.

She said a window had been broken early in the protest, but it had been an accident and they were non-violent protesters.

"It was an accident, absolutely an accident. It was unintentional, it was a small tap," she said.

Ms Fela said the protest was also directed at vice-chancellor Ian Young, who she said should resign in the light of his support for university fee deregulation.

"We want him to know that we know who's side he's on. We know he's on the side of Julie Bishop and Tony Abbott and that he's not on the side of the students," she said.